Gate-lock



(No Model.)

M. B. MILLS.

GATE LOOK.

Patented Feb. 15, 1887.

nwumo w. Washington, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

MORTIMER B. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GATE-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,779, dated February 15, 1887.

Application filed November 2, 1886. Serial No. 217.779. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORTIMER B. MILLS, a citizen of the United States, residing atOhicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gate-Locks; and I hereby do clare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the same.

My invention relates to a ,lock for use particularly in railroad-gates of the kind containing a vertically'swinging bar upon a post and actuated by pneumatic force, though the especial use for which I intend my improved lock is in connection with a gate of the construction and operation set forth in Letters Patent No. 348,856, granted me on the 7 th day of September, 1886, for a new and useful mechanical movement for operating gate-bars, switches, signals, and the like. Although, therefore, my present improvement is capable of use in connection with pneumatic gates, or gates operated by fluid-pressure, of various constructions, for the sake of 'convenienceI confine the present description and drawing to the connection of the lock with the form of gate set forth in my aforesaid Letters Patent; When a gate-bar is in its raised position, the force which holds it is not such as will prevent its being overcome by wind force, if considerable, when eXerted'in the direction of lowering the gate-bar; hence when raised, it is desirable to lock the bar to prev'entaccidental orunintentional lowering of the same.

It is my object to provide a lock for the purpose which shall engage automatically with the bar when raised to hold it, and the release of which shall be accomplished by the same act which produces the lowering of the bar.

To this end my invention consists in the general construction of my improvement; and it also consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The drawing shows, in sectional elevation, my improved lock applied to the bar of a pneumatically-operated railroad-gate of the construction set forth in my aforesaid prior patent, the air-tubes being shown broken away from the air-pump and valve or stop mechanism shown in the said patent, but not in the present connection, as they form no part of my improved locking device,

A is the gate-post, comprising, preferably, two vertical standards, only one of which is shown in the drawing, owing to the nature of the view; and between the standards of the its rear extremity near the rear end of the chamber D, and pivoted toward its opposite end to one end of a link, E, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to the free end of the bar 0.

G G are collapsible receivers in the form of airtight bags, of the tapering shape shown, to fit in the chamber D, and located on opposite sides of the lever E, between the same and the adjacent walls of the chamber D, and p and p are pipes leading, respectively, into the receivers G and G from a suitable fluidpump. (Air is the preferred actuating medium.)

By forcing the fluid from the pump into the receiver G, the gate-bar A is raised to the position shown to open the gate by removing the barrier 'which the gate-bar affords, and forcing the fluid into the receiver G lowers the gate-bar to afford the barrier, the expansion of one receiver producing the collapse of the other, byperinitting the exhaustion of the fluid contents of the latter through a suitable valve in the pipe-connection of the pump with the receivers, all as clearly shown and explained in my aforesaid Letters Patent.

To prevent the bar from being lowered by the effect of the wind or by any other unintentional or unauthorized cause, I provide the device H, for locking it automatically whenever it is raised to open the gate, which device is constructed to permit the release of the bar from its retaining effect to be accomplished by the action of the pump in introducing fluid into the receiver G, to expand the same and lower the bar B.

The device H comprises, preferably, a box, 0, flaring in form, as shown, and having its flaring end inclined to coincide with the in- IOC) upon the rod n, and carrying a latch, I, which projects beyond its opposite end across the rod n.

Between the lower side of the lever m and the adjacent inner side of the box 0 is a col- 'lapsible receiver or bag, K, which communicates by a pipe, 1), with the pipe p,leading to the receiver G.

The gate-bar B is provided in its base, and near the extremity thereof, to attain great leverage, with a recess, Z, of the angular form shown.

When the gate-bar is raised to its-normal position, the lower edge of the recess Z strikes the inclined edge a: of the latch I, (the receiver K being in collapsed condition,) thereby raising the latch to permit it to enter the recess Z, when, after the bar has been raised to its full normal height, the latch falls into position and holds the gate-bar. The operation of forcing fluid from the pump into the receiver G to lower the gate-bar first produces the expansion of the receiver K, whereby the lever m is raised and releases the latch I from engagement with the gate-bar. \Vhen the bar, after being lowered, is raised in the manner hereinbefore described, the collapse of the receiver G is at tended by that of the receiver K.

Of course, where a gate of the foregoing nature comprises two vertically-swinging bars on posts, a device, H, is provided for each bar.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure I by Letters Patent, is-

1.. In a gate having a vertically-swinging bar on a post and actuated by fluid-pressure, the combination, with the bar, of alock engaging directly with the bar to hold it in its raised position and a collapsible fluid-receiver operated by fluid-pressure to actuate the lock, substantially as described.

2. In a gate having a vertically-swinging bar on a post and actuated by fluid-pressure, the combination, with the bar, of an automatic lock engaging directly with the bar to hold it in its raised position and a collapsible fluidreceiver operated by fluid-pressure to disen gage the lock, substantially as described.

3. In a gate having a vertically-swinging bar on a post and actuated by fluid-pressure, the combination, with the bar, of an automatic lock engaging directly with the bar to hold it in its raised position and a collapsible fluidreceiver communicating with the fluid-pressure mechanism which actuates the gate-bar, and operated thereby to disengage the look by the operation of lowering the bar, substantially as described.

4. A gate-lock comprising, in combination, a lever fulcrumed toward one end, and carrying, to extend from its free end, a latch to engage with and hold opena gate-bar, and a collapsible fluid-receiver confined against one side of the said lever to actuate the same by its expansion and collapse, substantially as described.

. 5. A gate-lock comprising, in combination, a flaring box, 0, a lever, m, fulcrumed near one end within the box, and carrying, to extend from its free end beyond the box, alatch, I, to engage with and hold open a gate-bar, B, and a collapsible fluid-receiver, K, confined in the box 0, between one of the walls of the latter and the adjacent side of the lever m, substantially as described.

6. A gate-lock comprising,in combination, a flaring box, 0, beveled at its flaring extremity, a lever, m, fulcrumed near one end within the box, and carrying to extend from its free end beyond the box, a latch, I, to engage with and hold open a gate-bar, B, and a collapsible fluid-receiver, K, confined in the box 0, .between one of the walls, of the latter and the adjacent side of the lever m, substantially as described.

7. In a gate, the combination of a post, A,.a bar,B, provided with a recess, Z, and supported on the post and actuated to swing in a vertical plane by fluid-pressure, anda lock, H, having a lever, m, fulcrumed toward one end, and carrying, to extend from its free end, a latch, I, to engage wit-h and hold the gate-bar B at the recess Z when raised, and a collapsible fluidreceiver, K, confined against one side of the said lever, and communicating with the source of fluid-pressure to control by its expansion and collapse the said latch, substantially as described.

MORTIMER B. MILLS. In presence of- J. W. DYRENFORTH, GEORGE 0. 000K.

ICC 

